Block-signal apparatus.



F. g. WILLIAMS. BLOCK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

v APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 190B.

Patented May 9, 1916.

5 SHEETS--SHEET I.

H Rm Y O E w M o W. n II}, A 6 f K Im IM fl Y B 8 mg a a 0 5 Z WITNESSES F. C. WILLIAMS.

BLOCK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 9, I908.

Patented May 9,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W #uZZaI/u/ 7 ATTORNEY F. C. WILLIAMS.

BLOCK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. I908. 1, 182,868. Patented May 9,1916.

. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Y B H 6 57 w E172 t s d wv ATTORNEY F. C. WILLIAMS.

BLOCK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, I908.

1, 1 82,868. Patented May 9, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR 1574/24 6 Mike/7w:

A TTORNE Y WITNESSES F. C. WILLIAMS.

,BLOCK SIGNAL APPARATUS.

- APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, I908. 1,182,868. Patented May 9,1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 ATTORNEY WITNESSES fifmaal UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAFETY BLOCK SIGNAL COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BLOCK-SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

' '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK C. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Block-Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact disclosure,

, a block in the system while a second car is in the block, but which will automatically operate to permit a car to enter a block when it is clear; to provide an improved block signal system which will operate automatically by electricity, but which, if any failure in the electricity occurs, will operate mechanically to revent a car from entering a block; to provide a system for signaling and for stopping cars which will operate electrically upon a small expenditure of electric energy, and which will not be interfered with by rain, snow, or sleet; to provide an improved block signal system which may be used upon any railroad without disturbingv the usual equipment thereof; and to provide other improvements as will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railroad and steam locomotive equipped with my improved block signal apparatus, the signal apparatus being shown diagrammatically, and in the plane of the drawing for clearness; Fig. 2 a fragmentary top plan view of the same, portions thereof being omitted for the sake of clearness; Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged top plan views of a detail of the same; Fig. 5 is a sectionallview on line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 an enlarged side elevation of the stopplng mechanism, the casing thereof being in vertical section; Fig. 7 a top plan view of the same, the casing being in horizontal section; Fig. 8 an enlarged transverse vertical section through the tracks and truck; and Fig. 9 a top plan view showing the invention as applied to a railroad switch.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention selected to illustrate the application of the invention to steam railroads comprises stopping mechanism 1 carried by each engine 2 on the road, and

which is actuated electrically from a battery 3, or other source of electricity, carried by the engine, and which is also adapted to be actuated mechanically by a trip l pivoted to the to ?J of the engine and adapted to be engaged y mechanical stops mounted 51m fixed supports at the side of the road A semaphore or movable signal 5 is mounted upon a fixed support 6 adjacent and at one side of the rails 7 of the track and at the entrance to each block or division of the system. These signals are arranged to be operated electrically by the current supplied from the battery or other source of electricity which operates the stopping mechanism of the engine. A main mechanical stop 8 is connected to and actuated by each movable signal 5 and a second or auxiliary mechanical stop 9 is arranged upon a separate fixed support 10 adjacent the track and in alinement with and in advance of each the main stops, said stops and signals are arranged to be actuated solely by the electrical connections hereinafter described and remain set in the respective portions to which they are shifted thereby until again electrically operated.

The stopping mechanism 1 carried by each engine is connected to the throttle and also to the air-brakes of the engine, and is adapted to stop the engine automatically by closing the throttle and applying the brakes.

Ordinarily, the electric circuits which actuate the stopping mechanism of the en 'ne and the movable signals are open, but t ese circuits are closed to actuate the stopping and signal mechanism by means of a pair of shoes or yielding contacts 15 and 16, preferably carried by the tender of the engine and insulated therefrom, which are adapted to engage with lates or fixed contacts 17, 18, 19, 20, suitab y located upon the ties 21 of the road bed and insulated therefrom.

The current for actuating the stopping mechanism and signals is preferably derived from a storage battery 3 carried b the tender of the engine. This storage battery is kept charged by means of an electric generator 22 also carried by the tender and which is driven by means of a belt 23 from one of the axles 24 of the truck of the tender. The electric connections between the battery and the generator being well known. a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

The stopping mechanism carried by the engine comprises a casing 25 in which is mounted a spring motor comprising a main drive shaft 26 adapted to be actuated by a spiral spring 27 surrounding the same, one end of which is connected to the shaft and the other end of which is connected to the fixed spring barrel 28. One end of this shaft projects through the casing and is provided outside of the casing with a crank arm 29 having at its free end, a handle 30 whereby the shaft may be rotated. Mounted upon this shaft is the gear 35 meshing with which is a smaller gear or pinion 36 rigidly mounted upon a shaft arranged parallel with the first shaft. This second shaft carries fixed thereon. a second gear 38 which meshes with the gear 39 fixed upon a third shaft 40 which in turn carries a second gear 41 fixed thereon, which meshes with a smaller gear 42 fixed upon a fourth shaft43. The arrangement of the shafts and gearing is such that a single turn of the main driving shaft 26 will give preferably about eight turns of the fourth shaft 43. Fixed upon the main drive shaft. 26 is a disk 45 having a notch 46 in its peripheral wall, which is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 47 pivoted intermediate of its ends at 48 to a fixed support. This pawl is adapted to hold the train of gears stationary after the gears have been wound up against the action of the spring 27.

The stoppin mechanism of the engine may be release either mechanically or electrically, to be rotated by the spiral spring. The electrical releasing means comprises a pair of electromagnets 50 which are energized at proper intervals as will be hereinafter explained. These magnets act upon an armature 51 which is pivoted intermediate of its ends to a fixed support 52, and which is yieldinglv held away from the magnets by means of a spring between the outer end of the armature and the fixed support 52. A tie-rod 54 connects the inner end of the armature with the outer end of the pivoted pawl 47, whereby, when the magnets are energized, the armature will be drawn toward them, swinging the pawl 47 upon its pivot and lifting the pawl from the notch 46 in the disk upon the main drive shaft, thus releasing the stopping mechanism. The free end of the armature is turned upwardly to form a lug 55, which engages against a stud 56 fixed in the adjacent ear 42 of the stopping mechanism when tfie pawl 47 engages with the notch 46 to hold the stopping mechanism against movement.

For releasing the stoppin mechanism mechanically, the lever 4 1S pivoted to the top of the engine at 60 and projects in a su stantially horizontal plane outwardly from the engine. Pivoted to the outer end of this lever at 61 is an outwardly extending arm 62 whichrests against a lug 63 upon the rear side of the arm and rigid with the lever. The arm is held yieldingly against the lug by means of a spring 64 extending rearwardly from the arm between the arm and a bracket 65 projecting from the rear side of the lever. The outer end of the arm is thus free to swing forwardly with respect to the lever without moving the lever, but any rearward movement of the arm as it rests against the lug. forces the outer end of the lever rearwardly. A forwardly extending segment 65' is connected to the outer end of the lever beneath the arm 62 to support the arm, when it is rotated forwardly. The lever is normally held substantially at right angles to the side of the engine by means of a spring 66, one end of which is connected to the inner end of the lever, and the other end of which is connected to a fixed point. The inner end of the lever engages the upper surface of a spring 67, which extends longitudinally of the engine. the rear end of which is rigidly secured to the top of the engine and the forward end of which normally projects above the plane of oscillation of the lever, whereby when the outer end of the lever is swung rearwardly, the inner end of the lever will force the spring 67 downwardly and when the outer end of the lever is released, the spiral spring 66 upon the inner end of the lever will bring the lever back to its normal position, permitting the lever and the free end of the spring 67 engaged thereby to resume their normal positions.

The free end of the sprin 67 is connected by means of a rigid ro 68 extending through the top of the engine to one end of a lever 69 pivoted upon a fixed support, the outer end of the lever being connected by means of a tie-rod 70 to the inner end of the pawl 47. By this construction, when the free end of the lever 4 is swung rearwardly by engaging against one of the stops 8 or 9 mounted at the side of the track, the pawl is lifted from its notch, the stopping mechanism is released, and the main driving shaft 26 of this mechanism is permitted to rotate through one revolution, whereupon the pawl again engages in its notch and stops the mechanism.

For stopping the engine automatically, 2. throttle valve in a steam pipe 76, leading from the steam dome or boiler of the engine to the steam chests for actuating the engine, is operatively connected to the stopping mechanism; for instance, by a sprocket 7 fixed upon the valve stem 78, engaging a sprocket 8O fixed upon the main drive shaft 26 of the driving mechanism, the unwinding of the driving mechanism acting to close the throttle valve.

The air-brakes of the engine are automatically applied either by means of a valve 85 ora valve 86. The first, 85, of these valves is in a main air pipe '87 leadin from the compressed air tank 88 to the air rakes, and the other valve 86 is in a by-pass pipe 89 which communicates with the first pipe 87 upon opposite sides of its valve 85. Each of these pipes has a second valve 90 and 91 upon the inside of the first mentioned valve in each pipe whereby either pipe may be cut oil from the compressed air tank. The main valve 85 in the main pipe 87 is in alinement with and controlled by the shaft 37 of the stoppin mechanism which forms the valve stem 0 this valve. In the 0 eration of the stopping mechanism this s aft 37 rotates several times, and the valve 85 is turned on and off several times accordingly, which would ive a gradual application of the air bra es. The valve stem 92 of the main valve 86 in the by-pass ipe 89 is provided with a radial arm 93 xed thereon, the outer end of which is connected by means of a link 94 with a crank pin 95 on a ar 96, mounted upon a fixed shaft 97\an meshing with a pinion 98 of substantially one half the diameter of the ear. fixed upon the main drive shaft 26 0 the stopping mechanism. When the main drive shaft 26 is released by the lifting of the pawl 47, it rotates through a single revolution when it is brought to a stop by the pawl returning into engagement with its notch 46. This single revolution of the shaft would give a one half revolution to the gear 96 carrying the crank pin 95, which would thus turn the valve stem 92 through a part of a turn in one direction and the ports in the valve 86 are so arranged that this limited rotation of the stem moves the valve from a closed to a full open position, thus efiecting a sudden application of the air brakes. It is thus seen that the brakes may be applied very gradually by the main valve in the main air pipe or suddenly by the main valve in the by-passair pipe.

The movable signal 5 at the entrance to -each block of the system is rigi-d with the upper end of an upwardly extending metal signal lever 100 which is pivoted intermediate of its ends at 101 upon a standard 102 fixed upon a bracket 102 rigid with the fixed standard 6. The lower end of this signal lever 100 is connected by a link 103 to the movable core 104 of an electric solenoid 105 which is provided with two separate windings 106 and 107, one at each end thereof, whereby the lever is oscillated through a limited arc.

The lower end of the signal lever makes an electric connection upon one side of its ath of oscillation with a segmental conucting late 110 and on the opposite side of its pat with a similar plate 111, the lever connected with both plates for a short part only of its path, making connections with one plate as it leaves the other plate. The electric connections for moving the signal will be explained hereinafter.

The upper portion of the signal lever 100 is connected by means of a cable over a pulley 116 to the upper end of the stop 8 which is vertically movable in the tubular uide 117 rigid with the fixed support 6.

he stop 8 is preferably a rigid metal cylindrical bar which fits closely, but is freely movable in its tubular guide. By this construction as the signal oscillates, the stop 8 will be moved vertically accordingly.

The second stop 9, which is similar to the first stop, is vertically slidable in a tubular guide 120 rigid with the support 10, and is connected by means of a cable 121 over a pulley 122 to the upper end of a lever 123 which is pivoted intermediate of its ends on a bracket 124 rigid with the fixed support 10. The lower end of the lever 123 is connected by means of a link 125 with a movable core 126 of a solenoid 127, the solenoid being provided with oppositely arranged windings 128 and 129 whereby the core is reciprocated to reciprocate the stop 9 connected thereto- The lower end of the lever 123 contacts upon one side of its path with a segmental conducting plate 130 to close a circuit as hereinafter described.

For electrically operating the stopping mechanism on the engine, and the signals and stops at the side of the track, four contact plates 17 18, 19 and 20, are provided for each block of the system. These plates may be named for convenience, the danger plate, the red plate, the normal plate, and the white or resetting plate. and are arranged preferably between the rails upon the ties and insulated therefrom, in the order named. The danger plate is preferably placed about twenty yards outside of the red plate which is preferably located opposite the movable signal at the entrance to a block. The normal plate is located about one hundred yards inside of the block from the red plate, and the white plate or resetting plate, is located about two hundred yards within the next block ahead.

The danger plate 17 is connected by a lead to the segment plate 110 of the movable signal, thence through the signal when the signal is set at danger as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and through the lead 136 from the signal to the ground. The red plate 18 is connected by lead 137 to the winding 106 of the solenoid 105, thence by a lead 138 to the winding 129 of the solenoid 127, thence by lead 139 to segment plate 130 of the movable lever 123, thence, when the lever is on the contact plate 130, through the lever and through the lead 110 from the lever to the ground. The normal plate 19 is connected by a lead 141 to the segmental plate 111 of the signal thence, when the signal is set at safety as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, through the signal and lead 136 to the ground. The white, or resetting plate 20, is connected by lead 142 to the winding 128 of the solenoid 127, thence by lead 143 to the winding 107 of the solenoid 105, thence by lead 1-1-4 to the segmental plate 110, thence when the signal lever is in contact with the plate 110, through the signal lever and through the lead 136 to the ground. The danger plate and the normal plate are in alinement and adapted to contact with what may be termed the danger shoe or yielding contact 15 of the car, and the red and the white plate are in alinement and adapted to contact with what may be called the red shoe or yielding contact 16 of the car.

For supplying current to the contact plates 17, 18, 19 and 20, one pole of the storage battery 3 is grounded by means of lead 145, (as shown conventionally in Fig. 2). which connects the pole with one of the axles of the car, thus connecting the pole through the axle and wheels carried thereby to the rails of the track. The other pole of the battery is connected by the lead 146 to the yielding contacts 15 and 16, the contacts being connected in parallel with the lead by leads 147 and 148. The coils of the electromagnet 50, which act to release the stopping mechanism of the machine, are connected in series with the lead H7 from the battery.

By this arrangement of circuits it is evident that when the car passes over the danger plate, making an electrical contact therewith, that if the signal is set at safety, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, no current would flow from the battery of the car, as the circuit including the fixed contact would be broken, and the car would be permitted to proceed on its way; but when the signal is set at danger, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, as the car makes contact with the danger plate, the necessary circuit would be completed and the current would flow through the electromagnets of the stopping mechanism, releasing the stopping mechanism and closing the throttle and applying the brakes of the machine. It is also evident that when the signal is set at danger, the vertically movable main stop 8 would be in position to engage with the pivoted arm upon the top of the car and would effect the release of the stopping mechanism in the car if the current had failed to perform its function through the danger plate.

When the signal is set at safety, and the car has passed the danger plate without interruption, and makes contact with the red plate, the circuit will be closed through the winding 106 of the signal solenoid and also through the winding 129 of the auxiliary stop solenoid, whereby the signal will be set at danger and the auxiliary stop will be raised into an inoperative position to permit the car to ass Without interruption. When the signa is set at safety with its stop raised, the auxiliary stop 9 is normally in operative position and would stop a car, if there was any failure of the current as the car passed the red plate, but if the current performed its functions the circuit would be closed through the red plate and through the winding 129 of the solenoid to swing the lever 123 and to raise the auxiliary stop 9 out of operative position. When the car passes the normal plate, if the signal is set at danger, the car is permitted to roceed, if, however, the rod plate has faile to operate and the signal is set at safety the circuit will be closed through the normal plate and through the electromagnets of the stopping mechanism, thus stopplng the car. After a car has passed through the block it engages with the white plate 20 in the succeeding block and the circuit is closed through the winding 128 of the auxiliary stop and through the winding 107 of the signal and through the signal to the ground, assuming that the signal is set at danger, and the auxiliary stop 9 is lowered into operative position, and the signal is reset into its safety position, and the car is permitted to proceed.

In event of failure of the signals properly shifting to the danger position after the train has entered a block or section, said train is stopped either electrically by the engagement of the shoe 15 with the plate 19, or mechanically by engagement of the trip lever 4, with the stop 9. The automatic stopping of the train indicates to the operator that said signal failed to shift and that the block or section which his train occupies is unprotected, which enables him to set said signal or to flag a following train.

This system may be applied to electric railways, by connecting the lead 136 from the signal, and the lead 140 from the second stop, to the third rail or electric supply main, instead of to the ground as previously described. When this system is applied to an electric car, the current may be taken from the current which supplies the motive power for the car instead of from the battery or other source of electricity on the car, as heretofore described, a suitable resistance being interposed between the main circuit of the car and the signal and stopping circuits to reduce the voltage to that suited to the requirements.

This system of stopping a car may be applied also to railroad switches and drawridges. In the case of switches, (see Fig. 9), a separate plate 150 is placed at a suitable distance before the switch and is connected by means of lead 151 with a fixed contact 152. of a knife switch, the movable rontact 153 of which is connected b means of a bar 154 to the movable end one of the rails of the switch, whereby when the switch is opened a contact is made between the movable member 153 and the fixed memher 152 of the switch, thereby grounding the plate 150, and when a contact is made between the plate thus grounded and the danger shoe of the car, the car is brought to a stop as heretofore described. Substantially the same "construction is used with draw-bridges, a separate plate being used which is connected so as to be grounded when the bridge is open, in which case the car is brought to a stop before it reaches the bridge,

For protecting the fixed contact plates 17 to 20 from rain, snow and sleet, each of these plates is preferably covered by a shield 155 in the form of an inverted L secured to the ties of the road bed, a space being left between each shield and the to of its contact sufiicient for the free trave of the shoe. Each shoe is mounted on an L shaped bracket 156 which is rigidly connected to the frame 157 of the truck of the engine and insulated therefrom by insulation 158.

Although only the preferred form in which this invention may be embodied has been illustrated, the invention is not limited to the construction set forth as various changes might be made in the mechanical details shown without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A signal and stopping system for rail"- ways, comprising a movable 51 al, a movable stop, an electric circuit a apted to be closed by the passing of a car, and including means to move said signal to a danger position and to move said stop into an inoperative position, and a separate electric circuit including means to actuate said stop and arranged to be closed by the passing of a car when said signal is in a danger position, to effect the actuation of said stop to a position operative to stop a car.

2. A signal and stopping system for railways comprising a movable signal, a movable stop, and an electric circuit adapted to be closed by the passage of a car and including means to move said signal to a danger position and to move said stop into an inoperative position, and a separate electric circuit adapted to be closed by a passing car and including means to move said stop into an operative position and said signal into a safety position.

3. A signal and stopping system for railways comprising a movable signal, a solenoid having two windings for actuating said signal, a second solenoid having two windings, a stop actuated by said second solenoid for stopping a car, and an electric circuit adapted to be closed by the passing of the car for energizing one windin of each of said solenoids, and a separate circuit adapted to be closed by the passing of the car for energizing the other of said windings.

4. A signal and stopping system for railways comprising a movable signal, a solenoid having two windings for actuating said signal, a second solenoid having two windings, a stop actuated by said second solenoid for stopping a car and an electric cir cuit adapted to be closed by the passing of the car for energizing one winding of each of said solenoids, a separate circuit adapted to be closed by the passing of the car for energizing the other of said windings, a stop carried by said signal, and means carried by the car for engaging said stop to stop the car.

5. A signal and stopping system, comprising a movable signal having a sto moved thereby, a second stop arranged to be shifted simultaneously with the movement of said signal, into operative and inoperative posltlons in opposition to the stop moved by said signal, partial electric circuits including means to contemporaneously shift said signal and stops, partial electric circuits controlled by said signal, means carried by a car arranged to successively complete said circuits, and to shift said signal and stops, means including a partial circuit on said car closed through the partial circuits controlled by said signal to stop said car, and means on said car cooperative with either of said stops to stop said car.

6. A signal and stopping system for railways comprising a movable signal, a movable stop, means including an electric circuit arranged to be actuated by the passing of a car to move said signal from a safety position to a danger position, and means including a separate electric circuit arranged to be actuated by the passing of said car to move said signal from a danger position into a safety position and to move said stop from an inoperative position into an operative position.

7. In signal mechanism for railways, the combination with a movable signal, of an electric circuit arranged to control said signal, an auxiliary movable element, and an electric circuit controlled by said signal and arranged to shift said element in opposition to said si al.

8. In signal and stopping mechanism for railways, the combination with a track arranged to be traversed by a train, of a movable signal arrangcd upon one side of said track, an auxiliary clement arranged upon the same side of said track as said signal,

and means arranged to shift said auxiliary element in opposition to said signal, said means including an electric circuit controlled by said signal.

9. In signal and stopping mechanism for railways, the combination with a track arranged to be traversed by a train, of a movable signal arranged upon one side of said track, an electric circuit arranged to be controlled by a train on said track for actuating said signal, an auxiliary element arranged on the same side of said track as said signal,

and means arranged to shift said auxiliary element in opposition to said signal, said means includin an electric circuit con- 1b trolled by said signal.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of December, A. D. 1908.

FRANK C. WILLIAMS.

l/Vitnesses: V

ALs'rON B. MOULTON, ALEXANDER PARK.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,182,868,

It is hereby certified that in Lowers Patent No. 1,182,868, granted May 9, 1916,

upon the application of Frankl); Williams, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Block-Signal Apparatus, errors appear in the printed specification requiring obi-motion as follows: Page 1, lino 8 1; for the word portions read 0 511211; page 4, line 81, for the word r0d" rati rod; page 5, line 56, claim 2, for the word passago" road passing; and that tho said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections thoi-oin that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patont Oflioe.

Signed and sealed this 20th by of June, A. 1)., 1916.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Oommiuiomr of Patents. 

